Blackbird's Song

by Katy Turton

Set against the Russian Revolution of 1905, a prelude to that of 1917, this novel explores the complexity of relationships and motivations that lead to acts of rebellion.

Tsarist Russia, 1904: a time of war, shortages, and popular unrest. Anna enrols at university and is befriended by twins, Rosa and Boris, who draw her into the revolutionary movement. As Anna finds new purpose to her life and falls in love, the violent struggle against the Tsar escalates. On 9 January 1905, a workers’ protest is massacred by Tsarist soldiers, with tragic results for the three friends. Now Anna must continue the revolutionary struggle, knowing that to do so will mean sacrificing everything she holds dear.

Blackbird's Song was a finalist in the 2021 Page Turner Awards.

366 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2021

About the author

I am a historian of Russian and Soviet history by profession and currently work at the Centre for History at the University of the Highlands and Islands. My main interest is the role of women in the Russian revolutionary movement, including individuals like Lenin's sisters, Anna and Maria Ulyanova. I've spent time in archives in Moscow and St Petersburg, given public lectures, and this year I appeared on Lucy Worsley's BBC documentary Royal History's Biggest Fibs, talking about women's contribution to the 1917 Russian Revolution. My novel, Blackbird's Song, draws on my historical knowledge of women's participation in the Russian revolutionary movement and follows three characters as they battle to overthrow the Tsar in 1905.

Reviews

[Pam Di Maio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, suspenseful story with some really surprising twists, told through wonderfully developed characters, who I found I really cared about.

The vivid descriptions of the historical context brought to life a period of history that I didn't know anything about.

I loved it!

[Laurie Symon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gripping read! The sense of building tension towards the climax of the book was very well crafted and there was a real momentum to the story. I found myself racing through it extremely quickly and found it difficult to put it down. There were also some unexpected themes explored and I found myself really empathising with many of the characters. The fact I have very limited background knowledge of the period and context described in the book was not a problem, and the context was set well without overshadowing the human element of the story. I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in historical fiction, Russia and Eastern Europe, the Russian Revolution and human relationships in general!

[Eliza Mood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb historical novel on early stirrings of revolution in Russia. Forbidden love at a time of social upheaval and revolution. Beautifully constructed and paced, this is an unrepressed and luscious realist novel for modern times. A homage to Tolstoy in some respects, though following closely the lives of a new kind of family through an intense period of their lives. The attempt to live life based on political theory is overwhelmed by emotion caused by deep personal tragedy. We see the failure of logical argument to dislodge embedded understandings. History’s tidal wave occurs despite, as well as in interplay with, the individual’s capacity to influence it.

[Lynsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found myself totally immersed in the plot and the characters. Beautiful writing and story telling all in the context of the Russian Revolution. Really enjoyed the insight into this bit of history and really appreciated the telling of a story in this context which had such a focus on sexuality and gender. Was sad when this ended and would happily read more about these characters!